ESPN's Michael Wilbon Uses Two-Word Insult Against New York Times

Longtime ESPN host Michael Wilbon called The New York Times "gutless motherf——" during an appearance on "The Dan LeBatard Show," accusing the paper of gutting its sports news coverage, according to a Fox News report.

The outburst, flagged by Fox News Media under its media coverage vertical, centers on Wilbon's frustration with how the Times has handled sports journalism — a complaint he delivered in blunt, unscripted terms on a show known for candid sports-media talk.

What Exactly Did Wilbon Say?

According to the Fox News account, Wilbon's criticism of the Times was direct: he labeled the paper "gutless" and used an expletive to describe its leadership or editorial choices around sports coverage. The characterization appears in the Fox News headline and report as the defining moment of the segment. Fox News did not publish a full, line-by-line transcript of the remarks in the material reviewed, so the broader context of the comments — what prompted them in the moment, and whether Wilbon named specific editors, stories, or decisions — is not detailed beyond the central accusation that the paper has gutted its sports news operation.

Where Did the Comments Air?

The remarks came during an appearance on "The Dan LeBatard Show," a program hosted by Dan Le Batard, Wilbon's longtime peer in sports broadcasting. Wilbon, an ESPN fixture for years as a panelist and columnist, has regularly appeared on sports-talk programs to weigh in on the state of the industry. His appearance on LeBatard's show fits that pattern, though the specific date of the broadcast was not included in the source material.

What Is Wilbon's Underlying Complaint?

The core of Wilbon's grievance, as described in the Fox News report, is that The New York Times has gutted its sports news coverage. The report does not specify which particular cutbacks, staffing moves, or editorial shifts Wilbon was referencing, nor does it quote him describing specific examples. The accusation instead stands as a broad judgment on the state of sports journalism at one of the country's largest newspapers, delivered by a figure who has spent decades inside the sports-media business himself.

Fox News did not include a response from The New York Times in its report, and no statement from the paper addressing Wilbon's comments appears in the source material reviewed for this story.

Why Is a Sports-Talk Rant Making News?

On its face, a heated comment from one broadcaster about a newspaper's coverage choices might seem like routine sports-radio chatter. But the episode is getting attention because of who is saying it and how he said it. Wilbon is not a fringe commentator; he has been one of ESPN's most recognizable voices for years, built largely on measured, analytical commentary rather than profanity-laced outbursts. A clip or quote describing him unleashing an expletive at a major newspaper stands out against that reputation, which is part of why Fox News Media chose to cover it as a stand-alone item rather than a passing aside.

The moment also lands amid a broader, ongoing conversation in the sports-media industry about how legacy newsrooms allocate resources to sports journalism versus politics, business, and other beats. Wilbon's comments, as reported, position him as a voice from inside sports broadcasting pushing back on what he sees as a retreat by a major paper from that coverage — even though the specific numbers behind any such retreat are not detailed in the available reporting.

Has the Times Responded?

As of the Fox News report, there is no indication that The New York Times has issued a public response to Wilbon's remarks. Fox News Media's coverage, which focuses heavily on media criticism and on-air disputes involving outlets like the Times, presented the comments largely on their own terms, built around the headline quote rather than a point-by-point rebuttal from the paper.

Readers looking for the Times' side of the sports-coverage question, or for Wilbon's fuller remarks beyond the quoted phrase, will need to watch for additional reporting or a direct statement from either party, neither of which had surfaced in the material reviewed for this story.

The episode, for now, remains defined by a single blunt exchange: a veteran ESPN voice, on a peer's show, telling a national newspaper exactly what he thinks of its sports desk — in language Fox News chose to lead with rather than soften.

Artiglio is A coming-soon iPhone chief of staff for briefings and drafts. Not on the App Store yet.